“In a weird way, it’s a good thing for our team,” Kerr said. “Obviously I want all of our players healthy. … I think big picture-wise over the next couple weeks it’s an opportunity for our team to get better because we have to. We have no choice.”

The two-time league MVP Curry landed awkwardly on the E’Twaun Moore’s foot while going for a late steal in a 125-115 comeback win Monday night at New Orleans. He scored 31 points before the injury and is averaging 26.3 points, 6.6 assists and 5.1 rebounds per game this season.

Kerr confirmed Wednesday that Curry’s ankle is structurally intact.

“All things considered it was good news,” Kerr said of the MRI results. “Hopefully it will be a couple, or a few weeks, and he will be back. It’s not anything that’s too serious.”

Injury update: Stephen Curry underwent an MRI today in Charlotte, the results of which confirmed that he suffered a sprained right ankle in last night’s game at New Orleans. The MRI indicated that the ankle is stable and structurally intact. He will be re-evaluated in two weeks.

“Hey Steph, you OK?” asked [David] West, who, at 37 and in his 15th NBA season, is a sort of fatherly figure on the Warriors.

“Yeah, I’ll be good,” Curry said, glancing up from his phone. “It’s sprained and it’s swelling pretty bad, but it could be worse.”

An MRI exam on Curry’s right ankle, which he badly rolled lunging for a steal late in Monday night’s win over the Pelicans, revealed no structural damage. Barring a faster-than-expected recovery, the two-time MVP will not return to the court until at least Dec. 19 — a stretch of five games. Three of those are on the road (Wednesday in Charlotte, Friday in Detroit, Dec. 18 against the Lakers), with the two others coming at home (Monday against Portland, Dec. 14 against Dallas).

“Just got to take it one day at a time,” Curry said, “and rely on the athletic training staff in there to get me back on the court as soon as possible.”

Curry dealt with serious ankle injuries throughout the 2011-12 season. He played in 26 games during that lockout-truncated season, undergoing surgery on his right ankle in May 2011. The 29-year-old is averaging 26 points, 7 assists and 5 rebounds in 23 games this season.

Donovan Mitchell scored 41 points as the Jazz came back late to beat the Pelicans. Down 84-80 entering the fourth quarter, Utah scored the first 10 points of the fourth before the Pelicans unreeled 12 straight of their own to go up six. Mitchell then scored 12 points over the final 3:09 to cap the dramatic victory. Mitchell did it all on Friday, scoring from three (6-12), getting to the line (9-11), and getting to the basket (below).

Like many games for the Warriors, the final box score was a work of art. Golden State had 46 total assists — second-most in a single game in franchise history — led by 10 each from Draymond Green and Steph Curry. Klay Thompson scored 27 and Kevin Durant had 25 (before his ejection), and as a team, the Warriors shot 63 percent. Their 41 first-quarter points were the most in an opening quarter this season, and the same could be said for their 78 in the first half. Amid the offensive outburst, Curry moved into eighth-place all-time on the NBA three-pointers made list.

The Magic weren’t so bad themselves offensively, and Aaron Gordon led the way with 29, while Evan Fournier had 22.

Heat 105 (11-11), Hornets 100 (8-13)

Josh Richardson went off for 27 points on 11-14 shooting as the Heat pulled away in the final minutes. The Hornets led 96-95 with 2:36 left, when Goran Dragic hit a jumper that started a 9-0 run. Charlotte never got closer than four after that. Marvin Williams had 16 to lead seven Charlotte players in double-figures. The Hornets have now lost four in a row.

The Thunder led for most of the night but struggled to put away a Timberwolves team that seemed to have an answer for every late bucket that OKC scored. An Andrew Wiggins three with 12 seconds left brought Minnesota to within two, but on the ensuing possession, he fouled Paul George while trying to force a turnover. George made both free throws to provide the final margin. He led all scorers with 36 points to go with nine assists, while Wiggins and Karl-Anthony Towns each had 23 for the Timberwolves.

The Wizards used a 35-15 third quarter to pull away from the Pistons and earn their 12th win. Markieff Morris led all scorers with 23 points. Thomas Satoransky came off the bench to add 17 more, and Marcin Gortat went for 12-and-12. Andre Drummond had 14 points, 17 rebounds, and seven assists for the Pistons, who saw their three-game winning streak come to an end.

Raptors 120 (14-7), Pacers 115 (12-11)

The Raptors won their sixth straight at home behind a perfect shooting night from Jakob Poeltl (18 points, 8-8 shooting) and 26 points from DeMar DeRozan. Toronto scored a season-high 70 points in the paint and improved to 13-0 this season when leading after three quarters. Victor Oladipo had 36 points, seven rebounds, and six assists to lead the Pacers.

The Bulls lost by a point for the second time in as many days and dropped their third-straight by five points or fewer, as they stayed stuck at just three wins on the season. Robin Lopez hit a jumper with 43 seconds to go to pull Chicago to within two, but De’Aaron Fox answered seconds later. The Bulls didn’t get closer until the final seconds when Jerian Grant hit a meaningless three to close the final margin to one. Zach Randolph had 25 points and 13 rebounds for the Kings and Grant had 17 to lead the Bulls.

The Spurs ran the Grizzlies’ losing streak to 10 games on Friday behind 22 points from LaMarcus Aldridge and 18 from Rudy Gay. Marc Gasol had 16 for Memphis, which was playing its second game under interim head coach J.B. Bickerstaff, who took over following David Fizdale’s firing. The Spurs have now won four in a row and six of their last seven.

They’ve been overshadowed a bit by the Celtics, but the Stan Van Gundy-led Pistons might be the biggest surprise team in the Eastern Conference. With the throttling of Phoenix, Detroit moved just two games behind Boston and won a third-straight game. Tobias Harris (20 points, 7 rebounds), Avery Bradley (20 points) and Reggie Jackson (23 points, 5 assists) led the way.

Andre Drummond scored 13 points and notched 7 boards, but took on more of a distributor role in this one, posting 7 dimes from the center position. He also became the first player in the NBA this season to reach 300 rebounds. What makes Detroit so scary is that, on any given night, a different player can be the main guy.

Last season, the Pistons’ offense would bog down often when Drummond was dealing with foul trouble or just not playing well. But, Harris has been playing at an All-Star level and the addition of Bradley has given Detroit a solid shooter who is a lockdown defender. It doesn’t hurt that Jackson is finally feeling comfortable in Stan Van’s system.

Magic 121 (9-13), Thunder 108 (8-12)

Orlando snapped a 9-game losing streak as the Thunder keep struggling to get on the same page. It was close most of the way until the Magic broke away during the second half. Aaron Gordon did most of the damage, exploding for 40 points and 15 rebounds. He did it with dunks, threes (6-for-12 beyond the arc) and defense (4 steals).

People were never worried with AG’s athleticism or high-flying ability, it was his questionable jumpshot that limited his ceiling as a big-time scorer. That’s not too much of a concern anymore. Elfrid Payton helped out with an efficient 19 points and stuffed the stat sheet with 5 boards, 6 assists and 4 steals. After a quick start, the Magic have cooled down considerably so they needed this one.

MVP Russ showed up in Orlando with 37 points and 11 rebounds, but the Thunder bench scored just 16 points and Carmelo Anthony was 5-for-16 from the field. As a team, OKC shot under 40 percent and let the Magic make 59 percent of their shots. That combo isn’t going to result in wins too often.

76ers 118 (12-8), Wizards 113 (11-10)

Already without John Wall (knee), the Wizards lost Bradley Beal to a facial contusion a few minutes into the game and kind of slogged through the opening half as a result. They trailed 58-40 at the break, as Embiid and Simmons took over (the pair combined for 56 points, 32 rebounds and a crazy 47 free throw attempts).

Beal would return and helped Washington fight back with a 48-point fourth quarter to make this a game. The Wizards were within 116-113 with 11 seconds to play. But, they couldn’t grab a key defensive rebound and didn’t have a chance to cut the deficit any further. Three Wizards (Beal, Kelly Oubre Jr. and Jodie Meeks) scored 20+ points in the loss.

Something interesting: Washington used a Hack-a-Simmons strategy in the final frame to aid the comeback effort, and it worked perfectly. Simmons took 24 free throws in the fourth quarter — an NBA record — and was just 15-of-29 at the charity stripe overall. Have a feeling we’ll see other teams do the same when they play Philly.

Raptors 126 (13-7), Hornets 113 (8-12)

Entering tonight, Toronto was 6-1 at home and Charlotte was 1-8 on the road. So, it wasn’t much of a surprise that the Raptors scored 71 first half points and cruised to an easy W as Kemba Walker, sat with a bruised shoulder. Both Kyle Lowry (36 points, 6 assists) and DeMar DeRozan (30 points, 6 assists) had monster games.

Lowry had the honor of being interviewed after the game by the 6 God himself.

You could make the argument that Lowry and DeRozan make up the East’s best backcourt, and both have seemingly been unleashed this season as they make three-pointers more of a focus. When they each are feeling good on offense, it’s really hard to stop this Raptors squad.

Kemba is the heart and soul of the Hornets, so when they don’t have him, other guys need to step up. Dwight Howard did that tonight, needing just 12 shots to post a 22-point, 10-rebound double-double (and posterize Serge Ibaka). He was the only Charlotte starter to do much. Jeremy Lamb and Frank Kaminsky each added 18 points off the bench.

Knicks 115 (11-10), Heat 86 (10-11)

Disaster almost struck the Knicks in the first quarter, as Kristaps Porzingisturned his ankle badly while trying to grab a loose ball. KP wouldn’t return, but the team announced that x-rays were negative and it was only a sprain. Even without their star, the Knicks crushed Miami, outscoring the Heat by 21 in the first half and winning each quarter.

New York snapped a three-game skid and got back to the high-energy, unselfish play that helped the Knicks surprise people in the early going. Enes Kanter (22 points, 14 rebounds) took advantage of Hassan Whiteside (knee) being out of the lineup. Jeff Hornacek got contributions from his entire roster, as all 13 Knicks to play made at least one field goal en route to a 60% team shooting day.

Rockets 118 (17-4), Pacers 97 (12-10)

Houston ends November with a 12-1 record in the month, with 11 of those wins coming by 14 or more points (the only holdout: a 117-113 W over the Cavaliers). Since Chris Paul came back from his knee injury, the Rockets have won six straight. They started slow against Indiana but outscored the Pacers by double digits in the second and third quarters to open up a big lead.

The Rockets’ entire starting lineup hit double figures, with James Harden putting up a casual near triple-double (29 points, 8 rebounds, 10 assists) to just 1 turnover. At this point, Beard is looking like the MVP frontrunner as Houston sports the Western Conference’s top record. He has these mega-games on an almost nightly basis and, like LeBron, they’re starting to feel unremarkable in that “transcendent star” type of way.

For the second night in a row, a star player was ejected for the first time in their career. Yesterday, it was LeBron and tonight, it was Anthony Davis. At the time AD was tossed, Minnesota led 46-43. The Timberwolves then outscored New Orleans 74-59 the rest of the way.

Minnesota won this game down low, outrebounding the Pelicans by 16 with both Karl-Anthony Towns and Taj Gibson putting up double-doubles. Andrew Wiggins led the scoring charge, dropping 28 points on an efficient 18 shots. He also had 5 dimes, which is nice to see from a guy struggling to diversify his offensive game. Oh, and an enormous block too.

Jrue Holiday scored 27 to pace New Orleans, which also got 17 points, 10 rebounds and 6 assists from DeMarcus Cousins. Scoring wasn’t the problem for the Pelicans tonight, it was their defense. Minnesota shot 58 percent from the field and had 30 assists.

Nets 109 (8-13), Mavericks 104 (5-17)

Down their top two point guards as well as Allen Crabbe and Rondae Hollis-Jefferson due to injury, the Nets have needed different guys to step up almost every night. In Dallas, it was DeMarre Carroll and Trevor Booker. Carroll — picked up this offseason in a salary dump from the Raptors — knocked down 4 threes while Booker, a free agent this summer, posted a 16-point, 10-rebound double-double and had some huge tip-outs down the stretch that turned into offensive boards.

Brooklyn withstood a terrible free throw shooting day (14-of-25) to beat the Mavericks, mostly behind the play of guys like Carroll, Spencer Dinwiddie and Joe Harris, all of whom were unceremoniously discarded by their previous teams.

Things are looking bleak for the Mavericks, who are just 3-10 at home and heading toward a sub-20 win season. Harrison Barnes scored 17 points to go with 8 rebounds and 6 assists while rookie forward Maxi Kleber scored a career-high 16.

Spurs 104 (14-7), Grizzlies 95 (7-13)

The Grizzlies, in their first game post-David Fizdale, hung around with the Spurs all night but LaMarcus Aldridge was too much. LMA scored 41 points on 17-for-24 shooting to take down depleted Memphis, which was led by Tyreke Evans‘ 22. Aldridge played so well that Gregg Popovich said nice things about him after the game.

Tony Parker added 10 points and 5 assists in his second game back from injury. That’s nine straight losses for the Grizzlies.

Warriors 127 (15-6), Lakers 123 (8-12) / OT

This was probably the most fun game of the whole 10-game slate. The Dubs took the lead early but the Lakers — behind 41 points from reserves Jordan Clarkson and Julius Randle — surged back in the second quarter to go ahead at the half. L.A. and Golden State went back and forth down the stretch before Kentavious Caldwell-Pope‘s three-point play gave the Lakers a 109-106 edge.

But, 10 seconds later, Kevin Durant (29 points) drilled a contested three to tie it up. Both sides missed potential game-winners before the defending champs took over in the extra period. Steph Curry (28 points) knocked down back-to-back threes to build a cushion and, despite some great shot-making from Brandon Ingram, it held up.

“Early in my sophomore and junior years in high school, there was a little extra pressure because of who my dad was, and I felt like everybody was kind of critiquing my every move on the court, and I was already not getting recruited or anything.” […]

“[Lonzo] can’t let what people say bother him. Use it as motivation.”

Curry also had plenty of encouraging words for the struggling 20-year-old.

After Tuesday’s practice, Curry said that he thinks Lonzo is “a great talent” who will have a “great career” (starting at 1:27):

“He’s a rookie. He’s going through the ups and downs like every rookie has, whether you’re highly touted or not. It’s all a learning experience, trying to find your way and be comfortable.

“Basically my perception is he’s working through that. I’ve always said he’s a great talent, I think he loves to play basketball, so he’ll be able to fight through that and have a great career.

“I hope you didn’t judge me off my first 20 games in the league, either.”

Two nights after losing their 16-game winning streak, the Celtics took out their frustration on the Magic in a game that wasn’t even as close as the final score indicated. Boston scored 73 points in the first half and led by 26 at the break. Kyrie Irving had 30 to lead the Celtics, including a 10-10 performance from the line. He also did this:

No Magic player had more than 14 points (Jonathan Simmons off the bench), while Nikola Vucevic had a double-double with 12-and-11.

Trail Blazers 127 (11-8), Nets 125 (6-12)

Portland won the lone afternoon game on Friday in a thrilling finish. Jusuf Nurkic made a layup, plus the foul, with 27 seconds to go to break a 123-123 tie for what ended up being the game-winner. Nurkic finished with 29 points and 15 rebounds, to go with Damian Lillard’s team-high 34. The Trail Blazers ended the game with a 12-4 run, turning a 121-115 deficit into their third win in four games. Spencer Dinwiddie had 23 to lead the Nets. In a statistical oddity, both teams shot 50 percent from the field, 40 percent from three, and 71.4 percent from the line.

The Knicks led by 15 after one quarter, but the Hawks stormed back behind 26 points from Dennis Schroder (11-18 FG) and six players in double-figures. On the other end, Atlanta forced 20 Knicks turnovers. Kristaps Porzingis had 28 to lead New York in scoring, while Jarrett Jack had 10 points and 14 assists.

LeBron James (27 points, 16 rebounds, 13 assists) clinched a triple-double seemingly in the blink of an eye, and kept going from there to lead Cleveland to its seventh-straight win. JR Smith gave the Cavs the lead on a free throw with 48 seconds left, and they held on thanks to a strong defensive stand in the final seconds. The Hornets had a shot to win it, but James would not give Kemba Walker a good look, forcing him to give up the ball. Jeremy Lamb then missed a long three and Walker’s prayer at the buzzer fell way short.

Wayne Ellington scored 21 points and hit six threes off the bench as the Heat evened up their record with a 12-point win. Goran Dragic added five threes and 20 points of his own, as the Heat hit 19 for the game. The Timberwolves were led by a trio of players — Andrew Wiggins, Karl-Anthony Towns, and Jimmy Butler — who each scored 18.

Pistons 99 (12-6), Thunder 98 (8-10)

Russell Westbrook missed a three in the final seconds as the Pistons came back from 15 down to beat the Thunder in Oklahoma City. Andre Drummond had 17 points and 14 rebounds for Detroit, while Westbrook had his typical triple-double (27 points, 11 assists, 11 rebounds) for the Thunder. The Pistons trailed by 10 at the half, and it would have been worse had Ish Smith not connected from three-quarters court:

Lance Stephenson scored 13 of his 18 points in the final five minutes of the game to lift the Pacers to their fifth-straight win. Fred VanVleet had a shot to tie it for the Raptors, but his three-point attempted missed at the buzzer. Victor Oladipo had 21 points to lead the Pacers and Kyle Lowry had 24 for Toronto.

Pelicans 115 (11-8), Suns 91 (7-13)

Anthony Davis had 23 points and nine rebounds, and DeMarcus Cousins had 19-10-and-6 for the Pelicans in their blowout win. The Suns shot under 40 percent for the game and made just two of 20 three-point attempts. TJ Warren led the way for Phoenix with 18 points on 7-14 shooting. The Pelicans have now won three in a row and five out of seven.

A 45-point second quarter was all the Warriors needed to put the Bulls away before halftime. Steph Curry had 33 points, 31 coming in the first half as his services were hardly needed after that. Klay Thompson had 29 more as the Warriors shot 58 percent for the game, 44 percent from three, and went a perfect 21-21 from the line. Jerian Grant led the Bulls with 21 points.

John Wall sat this one out with a sore right knee. Bradley Beal did all he could to pick up the slack for his injured teammate, pouring in 27 points to lead the Wizards. But the visiting team had no answer for DeMar DeRozan. Deebo went off for 33 points, 8 rebounds and 6 assists, helping the Raptors survive a seesaw matchup. There were 11 ties and 17 lead changes before Toronto took over for good in the third quarter.

Myles Turner and the Pacers went off in front of Matthew McConaughey tonight. Turner had 25 points (11-14 shooting) and 7 rebounds, while Bojan Bogdanovic scored 26 and four other Pacers scored in double figures. Domas Sabonis pulled down 10 rebounds and Darren Collison dished out 10 assists.

Indiana took over in the third quarter, outscoring Miami 32-13. They built a 30-point lead, shot 60 percent (51-85), had 33 assists and kept the Heat to 42 percent shooting.

Stephen Curry caught fire early. He scored 13 in the first quarter and then got 15 more in the third quarter, hitting for 39 points in total before he fouled out with three minutes left in the fourth quarter.

By the time Curry was knocked out of the game, the Nets had cut a 28-point deficit to just 5. With all the momentum in Brooklyn’s favor, Klay Thompson put a stop to the comeback with back-to-back jumpers and Shaun Livingston added two clutch buckets down the stretch to put the pesky Nets away.

Pistons 100 (11-5), Timberwolves 97 (10-6)

The Pistons were trailing by 11 points in the fourth quarter. Then Reggie Jackson started going to work. He shot 4-4 to score 9 points and handed out 4 assists in the game’s final 6 minutes, helping the Pistons turn things around. They clamped down on defense, too, holding the Wolves to 35 percent shooting and just 17 points in the final frame.

Still, Jimmy Butler had a chance to tie the game with 6.2 seconds left after he got fouled while shooting a three. He made the first two free throws then missed the third and the Pistons escaped with another big win. Andre Drummond had 20 points and 16 rebounds.

The Suns used a balanced team effort to beat the Bulls. They had 32 assists on 45 baskets with TJ Warren‘s 27 points leading the way for the six Suns that scored at least 10 points. Devin Booker added 15 points and 6 rebounds. Bulls rookie Lauri Markkanen continued to impress, registering career-highs with 26 points and 13 rebounds.

Lakers 127 (7-10), Nuggets 109 (9-7)

Even before Nikola Jokic and Mike Malone were ejected in the second quarter, the Lakers had a hold on the Nuggets. They had a six-point advantage after the first and then they used a 38-22 second quarter to open the game up.

The Lake Show finished the night with 70 points in the paint and 36 assists on 53 field goals.

Lonzo Ball got the second triple-double of his career, going for 11 points, 16 rebounds and 11 assists. Six other Lakers besides Ball scored at least 13 points, led by 24 from Julius Randle.

“It’s very, very likely, right?” Golden State guard Stephen Curry said when asked whether he expects to return to Boston for the NBA Finals. “They’re playing the best right now in the East. … We’ll see, but I hear the weather is great here in June.”

Technically, Boston is playing the best in the NBA. It has won a league-best 14 games, all in a row, a stretch that spans almost a month.

As Curry disappeared into the visitors’ locker room after his postgame news conference Thursday, a teenage boy standing nearby in a white Celtics hoodie shouted: “See you in June!”

Game 1 of the 2017 Finals hadn’t even tipped off yet, but the Twitter and Instagram was already buzzing. Images of the super clean, super sleek Under Armour Curry 4 were flooding in from everywhere.

Neither Stephen nor UA had announced that the new sneaker would be unveiled for the Finals. But the surprise worked. People couldn’t believe how nice the white and gold 4s were.

“I was excited and nervous at the same time,” Curry 4 designer Kort Neumann remembers. “He was gonna first wear them in the Finals. That’s pretty big.”

Neumann’s sneaker was ready for the moment. The Under Armour Curry 4 marked a turning point for his design team, in both construction and composition.

Everything is brand new for Curry’s latest silhouette, starting with the one-piece Speed Plate that addresses mid-foot stiffness and lateral containment by transitioning from the medial arch to the lateral forefoot.

“When you look in the medial arch area, we shaved out a ton of weight there and then exposed that plate,” Neumann says. “We’re trying to get it to do two things at once in the forefoot. We’ve gotta still let it flex but still contain your foot when you’re cutting. We wanted to expose as much of that as possible.”

After figuring out the Speed Plate, they created a new lightweight proprietary foam technology for the midsole, straying away from the UA’s tried and true Charged Cushioning system.

It all leads to the 4’s knitted upper. That upper, featuring hits of synthetic for reinforcement, is made with a yarn that is stronger and silkier than anything UA’s done before. It stretches for comfort and it retains rigidity under stress.

“We worked with our innovation team and what they did is they were able to figure out a mechanical stretch in the knit to get it to expand like crazy,” Neumann says. “That’s the really cool part, with Steph wearing the braces, you really got to have a high stretch in that area to get your foot into the shoe. That right there is the big deal on the knitted component, the high stretch there.”

The polished design has shifted the way Neumann thinks about sneakers for Curry. The 3 was given tons of loud colorways and releases. The 4 represents a maturation from Curry and UA.

“Ultimately, [the 4] is an expression of our study in minimalism,” Neumann says. “That really came from Stephen. That’s where the aesthetic comes from, just him wanting that holistic fit, making the shoe feel like a second foot.

“The team and I went out to Oakland and we asked him, Hey, what was working with the prior models? What were some things we can improve with on the prior models? He came back with, I want a seamless transition from my foot to the shoe. I want to be able to have it hug my foot. I want it to be comfortable.

“The way I took that was, the thing that’s gonna fit closest to my foot is gonna be a knit component. We started with the knit component and then just really added whatever we needed and kept it as minimal as possible to keep that aesthetic.”

Stephen’s been wearing the 4 nonstop since the Finals last June. The silhouette had its first signature moment when he stomped down the floor, high-kicking his legs during Game 1. Then it cemented itself in sneaker history when he wore the white and gold joints to win his second championship.

“The whole shoe game is crazy,” Stephen said in June when we asked him about the 4. “It takes a long time, a lot of idea and input and the whole process is kind of fun to go down that road. So, yeah, I feel good playing in it. It’s a progression of the Curry line that we’re trying to continue to elevate and make that best shoe in the market. So I’m feeling pretty good about it. Obviously, at the end of the day, they helped me play well in Game 1, and I want to keep that going.”

—

The Under Armour Curry 4 white/black colorway adult sizes ($130 USD) will be available for pre-order through UA.com and select retailers beginning October 27, with an estimated delivery date beginning November 18. Youth sizes (Grade School $100 USD/Pre-School $70 USD) will be available for purchase at UA.com, Under Armour Brand Houses and select retailers globally beginning October 27.

Kevin Durant, jawing at referees in Curry’s defense, also was kicked out. As they sauntered toward the visitors’ locker room, a sellout FedEx Forum crowd of 17,794 rained down boos. Durant, flanked by a team security guard, turned toward a group of fans and pointed to his ring finger.

What most concerns head coach Kerr is that the joy that typically perpetuates Golden State’s locker room isn’t so common these days. Before the Warriors can return to their winning ways, they must recapture the fun that drives them.

“I’m not doing a great job of putting together combinations, finding the right ways to get guys going, to get some joy and laughter in here,” Kerr said. “It’s just one of those rough patches. Hopefully we can climb our way out of it. I’m sure we will.”

New York had a double-digit lead heading into the second half, but the Pistons managed to regain the lead early in the fourth quarter. Long Island native Tobias Harris led the way with 31 points for Detroit.

Spurs 87 (2-0), Bulls 77 (0-2)

If you follow the Bulls, there’s very little doubt that they’re the worst team in the League right now. Finnish rookie Lauri Markkanen is legit, but the rest of the team wouldn’t crack a rotation on most NBA squads (RoLo excluded).

LaMarcus Aldridge dropped 28 and 10 before the game mercifully came to an end.

Mavs 91 (0-3), Rockets 107 (3-0)

No contest. The Rockets led by as much as 36 points, and that’s without Chris Paul. They’re very good.

James Harden had 29 points and 7 dimes.

Warriors 101 (1-2), Grizzlies 111 (2-0)

Memphis attacked the Warriors in the paint, outscoring them 48-36. Golden State also shot just 39.3 percent from the field.

Marc Gasol (37 points, 14 rebounds) was assertive on offense, and when he does that, amazing highlights happen.

LeBron James made a statement with the debut of the Nike LeBron 15. His all-black sneaker was accented by a golden Swoosh and the word “EQUALITY” wrapped around the heel. The King, who led the Cavs to a 102-99 win over the Celtics with 26 points, 16 rebounds and 9 assists, shared a picture of the sneaker on Instagram, saying: “Together we will persevere through all adversity, negativity and turn it into happiness and love!”

Kyrie Irving nearly beat LeBron in their first matchup since the offseason’s dramatic trade. Before he laced up his “Shamrock” Nike Kyrie 3 PE, Irving introduced the world to the Nike Kyrie 3 “What The,” a hybrid that combines elements of his first three sneakers.

Other highlights from the first game of the season included the D Rose 8 and a look at the Crazy Explosive 17 Low, worn by Jaylen Brown in a 25-point performance.

Out in the Bay, Draymond Green broke necks by wearing the “Off-White” Hyperdunks during the first half of the Dubs’ game against the Rockets, a matchup they lost 122-121. Green then switched to his Flyknit Hyperdunks to close out the game. Stephen Curry was in a black edition of the Under Armour Curry 4, Nick Young was scorching hot in some classic silver adidas Gil Zero 2s and Klay Thompson was also drilling three pointers, rocking his “Gold Blooded” Anta KT3.

James Harden showed off a new adidas Harden Vol. 1 colorway for the Rockets while PJ Tucker laced up the Nike LeBron X and Chris Paul wore an all-red version of his signature sneaker. Scroll through the gallery above to see all the sneaker heat from last night.

While we’re prepared for another dominant performance from the Warriors this season, there are plenty of other intriguing narratives around the NBA that will keep us glued to League Pass and social media for the next seven months. Here are our favorites.

Who will own press conferences this season?

Russell Westbrook had this on lock last season, and will likely repeat, but there will be some stiff competition. KD seems to give less and less of a damn with each passing interview. James Harden always brings out ridiculous outfits—though his postgame quotes leave something to be desired. LeBron is LeBron. The dark horse, though, might be Dion Waiters. If you’ve been following him on social media at all this summer, you’ve seen a man that is feeling himself on a whole new level. Add the fact that the Heat has a real shot to get back to the playoffs and we should be seeing and hearing from Philly Cheese plenty this season. —Peter Walsh, Senior Editor

When will the Sixers take over the NBA?

So we can all agree that we might as well hand the 2018 Larry O’Brien trophy over to the Warriors right now, right? Right. But that doesn’t mean this season will be without intrigue—for example, how long before the post-Process FEDS take over the NBA? Embiid, Simmons and Fultz have as much potential as any young core we’ve seen in years. Can they stay healthy and fulfill all those lofty expectations, making fans forget all the ugly years that led to this point? We won’t know that answer for years. This season, though, should provide a hint of what’s to come. —Yaron Weitzman, Senior Writer

After a breakout season that saw him emerge into an All-Star and become the first player in NBA history to finish the regular season in the top 20 in total points, rebounds, assists, steals and blocks, it is clear that Giannis is now a fan favorite in the League. The question moving forward is whether the 22-year-old can become a legitimate contender in the MVP conversation. —Franklyn Calle, Associate Editor

Can the Warriors get…better?

Honestly? I didn’t think the Warriors were gonna win the Championship last year. Not for lack of talent—I just didn’t think they’d put it all together in KD’s first year. More of a Year 2 thing. I was wrong, but it doesn’t mean the Dubs won’t improve, with Durant further acclimating to GSW’s system and all that. They won’t go for 73+ wins—they’ve hopefully learned why attempting such a feat is a pretty terrible idea—but they’ll play more together, more as a unit. Which is to say, more unbeatable. Yikes. —Adam Figman, Editor-in-Chief

How will the Chris Paul-James Harden era play out in H-Town?

While Chris Paul opted in to the final year of his contract to join the Rockets, CP3 is far from committing long term to Houston. The 32-year-old will be an unrestricted free agent after this season, giving him an easy out if the partnership with Harden doesn’t go as planned. But all signs have been positive so far. Harden and Paul have been in constant communication since the June 28 trade and have played together in the Drew League, Black Ops in NYC and at UCLA pickup runs.—Ryne Nelson, Senior Editor

How will social media continue to change the League?

Raise your hand if you thought 10 years ago that social media would play a major role in the NBA. Waiting…nobody, right? But here we are. This past offseason, CJ McCollum posted a picture of Carmelo Anthony in a Blazers jersey on Instagram, and Rudy Gobert traded playful jabs with Isaiah Thomas on Twitter. When the Kyrie Irving trade went down, if you weren’t on Twitter, you were missing out on countless news items, jokes, memes and hours of entertainment. Brandon Ingram and Lonzo Ball even set the Lakers army on a war path because of a player’s video game rating. What a time. —Max Resetar, Associate Editor

Are the T-Wolves ready?

Are we sure this is even a debate? Minnesota’s starting five—Jeff Teague, Andrew Wiggins, Jimmy Butler, Taj Gibson and Karl-Anthony Towns—is perfectly balanced. It has youth and experience, scoring and selflessness, speed and defense. Reserve Jamal Crawford can bail the team out if need be, and there’s plenty of front-court depth, too. It may take a minute to jell, but soon enough, this team is gonna cook. —Leo Sepkowitz, Senior Writer

Warriors head coach Steve Kerr says that Stephen Curry is at his “absolute peak” heading into the 2017-18 campaign, and thinks the 29-year-old superstar will probably never be better than he is at this moment in time.

Steve Kerr thinks Steph Curry is better now than he was last yr or yr b4 & puts fear of God in opposing defenses like nobody he’s ever seen. pic.twitter.com/YFZZa1AYDG

“I think Steph is at his absolute peak right now — physically, emotionally,” Kerr said. “This is probably as good as he’s ever going to be. I think he’s better now than he was last year and the year before – and that’s saying something.”

While conceding that Curry is not quite the two-way play as fellow superstars like Kevin Durant, LeBron James and Kawhi Leonard, Kerr said the guard is unmatched when it comes to offense.

“He’s the most impactful offensive player in terms of what he does to the defense — maybe ever,” Kerr said. “Like, there’s guys, obviously, Michael Jordan impacted things, but the way Steph plays puts the fear of god into defenses like nobody I’ve ever seen.”

It’s easy now, thanks to Kevin Durant’s MVP Finals performance, to forget that the player who transformed the Warriors into the dominant outfit they are today was, in fact, Stephen Curry. The dude has literally changed the way the game is played, and the way the rest of the League goes about building teams. As we’ve seen with the Thunder this summer, fit is no longer a concern. It can’t be. The only way to keep up with the Warriors is to amass as much talent as possible and hope that it all somehow gels.

That’s all because of Steph.

He’s the one that rendered the League’s previous pick-and-roll defenses useless, that forced teams to become obsessed with finding players capable of switching assignments on screens, lest they fall victim to one of Curry’s silky bombs. Look at PJ Tucker. He went from out of the League to $32 million man within five seasons.

That’s what Curry’s done. He’s forced teams to change the way they think and play. (Big men? What are we supposed to do with them?) Keep up or be left behind.

And even if Durant is bigger, stronger and, probably, more talented, it’s still Curry that makes the Warriors’ offense—meaning the greatest offense the sport of basketball has ever seen—go. His shooting pulls defenders out near half court, stretching the floor vertically, where he’s then able to burn then with his wizardly handle (which would probably get more love if not for that magical stroke) and get to the rim, where he’s, perhaps to your surprise, one of the top finishers in the League (he scored on 63 percent of his shot attempts there last season, placing him in the 94th percentile, according to data from Cleaning The Glass).

It’s a mix of skills that over the past three years has proved literally impossible to guard (the Warriors outscored its opponents by a league-high 1,015 points last season with him on the floor).

But there’s more to Steph’s brilliance than just his ability to dribble and shoot like no one we’ve ever seen. His willingness to cede the spotlight to Durant—to not only accept the addition, but also pitch for it—is a display of selflessness we’re not used to seeing from NBA stars. It’s not that most are selfish; it’s just that, understandably, it’s hard to watch someone else absorb the spotlight that you helped create. It’s why Pat Riley says winning the second championship is harder than the first. “The Disease of Me,” he calls it. It was based on the idea, which he witnessed first hand, that teams who win championships ultimately stop winning because all involved become too focused on themselves.

That the Warriors have managed to avoid this pitfall for three years now is nearly unprecedented in NBA history. It’d be like if Kobe and Shaq never fought.

That all starts with Curry, from the way he plays the game to how he acts before and after them. It’s the trait of a truly great leader, which, in a sport like basketball, is the kind of thing that can elevate a team.

But elevating his team is what Steph does. It’s why watching him is such a treat, and why he is, and will always be, an all-time great.

Previous Rankings:
2016: No. 2
2015: No. 4
2014: No. 5
2013: No. 10

Rankings are based on expected contribution in 2017-18—to players’ team, the NBA and the game.

“That was terrible. Just kind of capitalizing on the hoopla and the media and all that nonsense. The real people that understand exactly what’s been going on and who’s really been active and vocal and truly making a difference, if you don’t have Kaepernick front and center on that, something’s wrong. It’s kind of hard to see how certain narratives take place, being prisoners of the moment. I was kind of joking around yesterday when I saw that on a certain Instagram handle, but at the end of the day, that stuff really doesn’t matter. It’s about the true message and really highlight the people that are doing the right things.”

After Sports Illustrated released its latest cover Tuesday, showing 10 prominent sports figures linking arms, many on social media were quick to ask: Where is Colin Kaepernick?

Count Stephen Curry among those who were puzzled that SI didn’t include the former 49ers quarterback whose decision to kneel for the national anthem last season started a movement.

“What we wanted to capture with this cover (was), yes, the news of the weekend,” [SI executive editor Stephen] Cannella said. “But we thought the enduring message of what we saw, especially on Sunday in the NFL, was this sense of unity.”

Nick Young has never met a shot he didn’t like, and regardless of the game situation or who’s on the floor with him during his first season with the Golden State Warriors, Young will continue to let it fly.

Swaggy P jokes (we think) that he won’t hesitate to pull the trigger on game-winning shots even if Kevin Durant and Stephen Curry are screaming for the rock.

Nick Young passed up a shot, and then another, uncharacteristic of the charismatic guard with a sweet stroke.

“We had to remind him, like, ’Listen man, you’ve gotta shoot, be you,’” [Andre] Iguodala said. “Shaun Livingston and myself are going to put him in a position where he won’t have to worry about where his shots are going to come from or if he’s going to be able to get as many attempts as he would like. We’re going to make life a lot easier for him and we’re going to make basketball fun for him, too.”

Now, they all are eager for him to get comfortable — and fast. The Warriors open the preseason schedule at home Saturday against Denver before a trip to China to face the Timberwolves twice, Oct. 5 and 8.

“I’ve been saying the same thing to Nick, ’Shoot it, shoot it, shoot it,’” [Steve] Kerr said. “The whole thing for any of our new guys is to understand that we want the first good shot we can find. If we don’t have a good shot, try to get a great shot but let’s keep the ball moving but be aggressive and find that balance. I don’t want Nick out there thinking. He’s one of the best shooters in the league and he should let it fly every time he’s open. And then as he gets more comfortable with the guys he’ll understand where those opportunities will come, when to move the ball on and when to shoot it.”

While there was plenty of news to talk about at each team’s facility yesterday, there was also breaking sneaker news. James and Curry each debuted a new colorway of the Nike LeBron 15 and Under Armour Curry 4, while Anthony paraded around OKC in a hoodie and his Jordan Melo M13s, the silhouette he wore last season. The remixed Big Baller Brand ZO2 Prime also made its first public appearance in LA. Lonzo Ball wore a black colorway of the brand new sneaker. And rounding out the list of unveilings, Klay Thompson wore the never-before-seen Anta KT3 in an all-white makeup.

Carmelo’s new teammates, Paul George and Russell Westbrook, were wearing the Nike PG1 and Air Jordan XXXII, in Thunder-themed colorways. Andre Roberson, another OKC mainstay, rocked the “French Blue” Air Jordan XII, joining Jeff Teague, Pat McCaw, Zach LaVine, Arron Afflalo and Johnathon Simmons, who wore retro Js too. Like Westbrook, Mike Conley, Victor Oladipo and Greg Monroe wore the Air Jordan XXXII. And Kawhi Leonard offered a glimpse at his personal logo on the XXXII.

Over in Cleveland, the Cavaliers showed love to LeBron. Tristan Thompson had a pair of Nike LeBron 8s. Isaiah Thomas, Kevin Love and Kay Felder wore the Nike Air Zoom Generation.

UA’s new sneaker, the Drive 4, was on full display with Terrance Ferguson, Will Barton and Emmanuel Mudiay donning the silhouette.

One day after Curry told reporters that he would rather not accept an invitation to visit the White House because of his objections to the current administration’s policies and rhetoric, Trump tweeted that he was revoking any invitation because of Curry’s remarks.

“I don’t know why he feels the need to target certain individuals rather than others,” Curry, a two-time N.B.A. most valuable player, said at a news conference after the team’s first practice of the season. “I have an idea of why, but it’s kind of beneath the leader of a country to go that route. It’s not what leaders do.”

“We’re not trying to divide and separate this country,” Curry said. “We’re trying to bring everyone together and speak about love and togetherness and equality.”

Stephen Curry is using Media Day to show off a new Warriors-themed colorway of the Under Armour Curry 4. The yellow/blue/white sneaker has come in a low-cut. Last season, during the Finals, Stephen debuted the mid-cut Curry 4 ahead of Game 1. For the remaining games, he wore a low version of the 4. Today marks the first time we’ve seen a new colorway of the 4.

Though there’s still not much info on the Under Armour Curry 4 yet, the sneaker’s knit material can be seen across the forefoot and around the collar. Its translucent outsole can also be seen.

“No,” he told ESPN’s Rachel Nichols with a laugh before explaining that his comment didn’t cause a rift with Curry.

“We was never in a bad place when I said that,” the All-NBA forward said. “So it’s like we didn’t have to patch anything up. … Me and Steph, we talked about that. He had a conversation with me about it, and I understood. We moved on.”

So why the talk of trouble brewing in Golden State’s locker room?

“We the Warriors,” Durant said. “Everybody trying to figure out a way to break us up, so they gonna use that too.”

The NBA’s two-time most valuable player inked a record five-year, $201-million deal with the defending champion Golden State Warriors this summer.

Curry, 29, thinks he can maintain his current level for another eight years or so.

Per the Charlotte Observer:

Curry, 29, spoke about how many years he hopes his NBA career will last. At this juncture, he said he believes he is only hitting the halfway point.

Curry said he hopes to at least match the 16 years that his father Dell Curry – the Charlotte Hornets’ all-time leading scorer and now a TV broadcaster for the team – played in the NBA. Ideally, all 16 (or more) of those years would be with Golden State. Curry, his TV-star wife, Ayesha, and their two young daughters have made their permanent home in the Bay Area.

“When I came in the league, that’s the only thing I did say – I want to play 16 years just because my Dad did,” Curry said. “I’ve always had an appreciation of what that meant. But now – having done eight years and understanding the work that it takes and whatnot – playing eight more years somewhere near the level I’m playing now would be solid.”

After having a conversation with Durant, Curry told the Charlotte Observer that the issue won’t affect the team next season.

Stephen Curry felt strongly enough about Golden State teammate Kevin Durant’s recent swipe at the Under Armour basketball shoes Curry endorses that the two have since “had a conversation about it,” Curry said. […]

“This is nothing that is going to put a wrench in the locker room,” Curry said. […]

“I told him that he has a certain opinion based on his experience growing up in the Nike business. […]

“But when it comes to what I’m trying to do with Under Armour, and what the Curry brand means and what Under Armour basketball means, that statement does not ring true at all.”

Since the debut edition of KICKS hit newsstands in 1997, NBA Stars have graced the hardwood in countless fire sneakers. To celebrate KICKS’ 20th anniversary, we’re counting down the 20 best we’ve seen over the past 20 years—and the moments that defined them. At No. 17 is the Under Armour Curry One, Stephen’s debut signature sneaker and the pair that helped him have one of the most incredible individual seasons ever. –Ed.

The Sneaker: When Stephen Curry joined Under Armour, there were no guarantees that he’d become a back-to-back MVP and a two-time NBA Champion. But what UA saw in the Warriors PG remains a plain truth in the sneaker industry: that a player like Curry, whose normal-guy stature is relatable and whose grounded personality makes him feel approachable, can move units. So with Chef Curry’s blessing, UA cooked up a debut model in 2015 that defied expectations, both in its technological advances (the introduction of Charged Cushioning and Anafoam) and its bevy of colorways (like the “Candy Reign,” “MVP” and “Dub Nation”).

The Moment: Curry seemingly came out of nowhere to sucker punch the League with a barrage of three-pointers that earned him his first MVP and his first NBA championship in the same season.

“People get mad at me, because I don’t declare [Curry] a top-10 player in the NBA, which is fine.

“I’ve got him on the outside – like 11, 12.

“I need Klay [Thompson] to have Steph, and they both need Draymond [Green], because in my Draymond is the most important player on their team. They’re going to the Finals without [KD]. [Green] is the one you can’t replace.”

The Western Conference somehow got even tougher this summer, but the really bad news for most teams according to Stephen Curry, is that the defending NBA champion Golden State Warriors will be a tougher out next season.

“You look around the Western Conference and it’s going to be crazy the amount of talent up the board,” Curry said Monday during a break at his SC30 Select Camp at the Ultimate Field House in Walnut Creek.

“So just because we have the same team coming back, we’re going to have to go through some different challenges and answer the bell.”

While hooping with and against some of the top high school players in the country yesterday in California (video above), Stephen Curry took the court in a new pair of Under Armour Curry 4s. The white base and black upper stays true to the first few colorways that we’ve seen from the 4. They’ve all been simple and sleek.

Curry debuted the UA Curry 4 right before Game 1 of the 2017 NBA Finals. The 4’s upper is knit and it has a full-length speed plate to help the two-time MVP get even faster. Check it out both above and below and stay tuned for info as it becomes available.

On the last day of its 4th annual SC30 Select Camp, Under Armour will host its first ever Select HS Showcase in San Francisco’s Kezar Pavilion. Slated to be held on August 8 at 6pm PST, the HS all-star game will host 26 of the top prep players in America. The game will be broadcasted live on ESPNU. The showcase will also be open to the public and admission will be free.

What was Curry doing? He was doing his rendition of the #LeBronChallenge. Last month, LeBron posted a video of himself during a workout rapping along to the hit “First Day Out” by Tee Grizzley. The video was funny enough to go viral and people started posting their own version and giving it that hashtag.

“I’ve been watching that video twice a day since it happened because its my favorite video in the entire world,” Curry said. “He made a song popular by making a video. And that lives. So now every time I hear that song, that’s all I think about. And I’ve been doing that dance because of him, at my house, at dinner. When something good happens, I pull that out, because I like it and it makes me laugh and it makes me happy. Not making fun of him.”

Curry’s rendition went viral and became the latest edition in the rivalry between he and LeBron, the Warriors and the Cavaliers. Fanning those flames was the presence of Irving.

“One thousand percent,” Curry said. “That was just a casualty of the moment because me and him were hanging out all night. Then that song came on and I was having a good time. Obviously, that’s a separate side story to their relationship, but neither one of us was trying to clown him.”

On Wednesday, Under Armour announced the roster for the 4th annual Stephen Curry Select Camp. Bringing together top-20 HS prospects for an exclusive three-day training session with the two-time MVP champion, the prestigious camp will be held August 6-8 in the Bay Area.

More below from Under Armour:

The following high school basketball players have been selected to participate this year:

New to the camp this year is Dallas Mavericks guard, Seth Curry. Coming off of the 2017 Stephen Curry Asia Tour together, Seth will work alongside Stephen and offer players curriculum and on-court instruction. NBA skills coach Brandon Payne will guide the players as Lead Skills Trainer alongside professional basketball trainer Rob McClanaghan, in addition to basketball commentator and former college basketball coach Fran Fraschilla as Lead Coach, and Under Armour brand ambassador and longtime ESPN basketball analyst Jay Bilas as Lead Big Man Coach.

SC30 Select Camp is built on the foundation of arming players with the fundamentals essential to guard play by highlighting the importance of balancing growth on and off the court. The program features basketball training and competition, including four on-court sessions, four film sessions.

Watching the 2017 NBA playoffs, and the much-hyped but ultimately lopsided Finals in particular, there was a feeling that was impossible to shake.

What did we just watch? We watched the Golden State Warriors sweep to the Finals before dominating in three of their four wins against the defending champion Cavaliers. We saw the two guys responsible for the previous three League MVP awards, neither of them yet 30 years old, surrounded by a “supporting cast” that included two other All-Stars and a seemingly weakness-free mix of young dudes and vets, all of them happily sharing the ball and buying in defensively and generally just having a hell of a good time. We watched them go 31-2 over the final two months of the season, playoffs included. We watched LeBron James average a 30-point triple-double against them in the Finals, knowing all along it wasn’t nearly enough.

We watched all of this, and whether we enjoyed it or not—a complicated question depending on your rooting interests and your definition of the phrase “super team”—nearly all of us experienced that same feeling: that this Golden State squad was just getting started. That they had quite literally changed the game, climbing a notch higher on basketball’s evolutionary ladder than the rest of the League was yet ready to reach, and that barring injuries (or an ego-clash that, on available evidence, seemed highly unlikely), they had just claimed ownership of the League. That at their best they were literally unbeatable—and that there was every reason to think they’d remain so for the next four, five or six years.

In essence, these Warriors are the future, and that future is now—and for the rest of the League, the foreseeable future is bleak.

How the Cavs and the League’s 28 other teams might adapt to this reality varies, of course; a small handful of squads in places like San Antonio, Houston, Boston and perhaps one or two other cities can at least theoretically try to improve enough to challenge the Dubs’ dominance. But even those select few face long odds; for the rest, it’d be foolish to think they’re playing for anything other than the right to contend in a post-Warriors world. The draft maneuvering, trades and free-agent moves to come over the next few summers will be interesting to watch, but nothing anyone does seems likely to matter.

Because maybe it’s just this simple: If Golden State stays healthy and intact, everyone else is playing for second.

You can make a case that the real intrigue of watching the NBA over these next few seasons might center on that squad in Oakland—or San Francisco starting in a couple of years, which we’ll get to—to see just how far they can take this thing. “They’re going to be here for a while,” said LeBron James in the hours after his team’s Game 5 loss. “Pretty much all their big-name guys are in their 20s, and they don’t show any signs of slowing down. From my eyes, they’re built to last a few years. They’re assembled as good as you can be assembled.”

Where to start—or rather, who to start with? Who is this team’s most valuable player? The fact that there’s not an obvious answer speaks to the superstar depth that makes the Warriors unstoppable. You can start with the new addition, Kevin Durant, who was so good in these Finals that there was no serious case to make against him winning the MVP award despite LeBron’s unbelievable series line of 34-12-10. With his 35.2 points per game and array of clutch shots in the series, Durant answered any doubts about his ability to mesh with an already loaded squad.

And then there’s Stephen Curry, whom it’s almost easy to forget owns a pair of regular-season MVP awards, and whose 27 points, 8 rebounds and 9 assists in the Finals route was pretty much taken for granted. Yet it was Chef Curry who set a playoff record with a +245, a testament both to all that he does with the ball, and to the impact of his presence in making things easier on KD and the rest of his teammates. (He did after all lead Golden State to 73 wins and a Finals appearance a year earlier, without Durant’s help.)

So yeah, there’s no wrong answer between those two, which might be the single most important factor in the Warriors’ success. Throw in “mere” All-Stars Draymond Green and Klay Thompson, the ageless human Swiss Army knife Andre Iguodala, and reliable veteran role players from Shaun Livingston to David West, and you see a roster full of Ws who truly only care about Ws.

If there were people who doubted this group’s ability to come together last fall, it’s impossible to hear them now.

“I’m not sure there was really that much of a story about our guys not being able to co-exist,” Steve Kerr said after the series. “I mean, come on—you got a bunch of guys who are talented and can shoot and pass and dribble, and they’re unselfish. There was never any question in my mind that this was going to work.”

In setting the tone for that team-wide commitment to winning over shots, stats or anything else, the Warriors themselves give Curry much of the credit. Said Durant, “It’s amazing to see a superstar who sacrifices, who doesn’t care about nothing but the group.”

Asked in the post-Finals celebration if he could imagine another reigning MVP deferring to a newcomer, Warriors GM Bob Myers was blunt: “The only one I know so far is Steph Curry.”

We all saw what made it work on the court: a team full of truly great all-around players—and lethal shooters in particular—each as willing to pass as to shoot. Or maybe more willing, given the team’s staggering assist numbers: they dropped 30 or more dimes in seven playoff games, a total matched by the rest of this year’s playoff teams combined. Then there’s the team-wide commitment to defense, a tone set by the presence of a couple of All-League defenders in Thompson and Green, by the length of guys like Durant, Zaza Pachulia and JaVale McGee, and by the unmatched incentive of knowing that every stop meant a chance to get out and run.

All of which leads to another (terrifying) question: Can they actually get better? The predictions of a four-or-five-year title run are based largely on the idea that this team, which won 67 games the year after that record-setting 73-win squad, is virtually unbeatable now. But what if, to the rest of the NBA’s chagrin, they improve?

Maybe that’s not even the question to ask. No doubt, they could try to break the regular-season wins record that Curry and Co. set in 2015-16, push for 75 or 80 wins just to see if it’s possible. But if anything, the question is less about win totals than about efficiency. And in that, a look at the Warriors’ final 67 games last season might provide the answer.

The consensus within the Golden State organization is that the team’s 109-108 Christmas Day loss to the Cavs was the turning point—for Curry, and by extension for the Warriors as a group. It marked the end of the post-KD adjustment period, and the moment when Curry figured things out. As Stephen himself said after the Finals, early on last season, he “tried to analyze and control the situation and make sure everybody was happy and getting shots. But honestly after that Christmas Day game, I kind of understood that we have such high-IQ players that if I could be aggressive, do what I need to do every single night, everything will kind of flow from that.”

Draymond echoed his man. “Steph definitely took a back seat to start the season—until he realized we didn’t need him to take a back seat. And when Steph turned that corner, I think it was after Christmas Day, we became almost unbeatable. That’s what we needed. This whole thing, ‘Who is going to take less shots?’ None of them. The ball’s going to find who it needs to find. So once they got to that point…I think everything changed for this team.”

The numbers don’t argue: Over the final 50 games, Golden State went 40-10, with five of those losses coming while KD was injured. Take away the games Durant missed, and add to that their 16-1 playoff mark, and you realize that Dray’s “almost unbeatable” is no exaggeration. They may not be able to get much better, but health permitting, they could conceivably extend that indomitability over a near-flawless 98 games.

So what could slow them down? Probably not money. Hard as it is to believe, the Warriors were a middle-of-the-salary-pack squad last season, and through a combination of smart management and a bit of luck, there’s no reason they can’t keep Durant, Curry, Green and Thompson together through their peak years. For the front office, the challenge is three-fold: Find more role-playing veterans (like David West) who can provide reliable minutes at relatively low prices; develop more late draft picks (like Patrick McCaw) capable of the same; and be willing to take the luxury tax hit.

Of course, there should be no shortage of savvy vets and eager-to-please youngsters dying to sign up with Golden State in the coming years. Finding the right ones is where the Warriors’ much-praised front office comes into play. “I can’t believe I’m giving him a compliment considering we’re about to go heads up in negotiating,” Andre Iguodala laughed after the Finals, “but Bob Myers has done an awesome job of finding the right personalities to fit the culture and balancing it out. That’s the culture that we built.”

It’s a culture that extends to the sidelines, where Steve Kerr has established himself as one of the game’s best coaches. Said Iguodala, “Steve’s got a great brain. He’s trying to figure everything out, like, ‘OK, I know how to get the best out of each one of these guys. But we’re going to take it to the next level.’ He does a great job of knowing how to communicate with each individual, which is key.”

Kerr’s boyish looks aside, his track record as both a player (count those five rings) and coach speaks to his savviness and competitive fire. It’s ironic that it was the Warriors’ head coach, and not any one player, whose health most threatened their success this season; of course, even when Kerr missed much of the playoffs with back issues, his squad didn’t miss a beat. It spoke to the impact Kerr has had, but also to the kind of guys he’s got playing for him; whether the Warriors could maintain this level long-term if Kerr had to step away from the game remains to be seen.

That word “culture” comes up again and again with this team, and from ownership on down to the end of the bench, that culture—put team before self, have fun and dominate—is a consistent one. With that in mind, maintaining consistency would seem to be priority No. 1. The sole change the franchise has committed to is its anticipated move from Oakland to San Francisco prior to the 2019-20 season. Will the shiny new Chase Center hold the same magic—let alone the same noise—that Oracle has provided? If these same Warriors are still playing historically great basketball, they could probably play out at Alcatraz and it wouldn’t matter.

And there you have it: An all-time collection of talent, all at or near their primes, personified as much by their collective selflessness as by their skill; a breathtaking style of play that’s as fun to execute as it is to watch; visionary leadership from the front office and the coach; manageable contracts for their All-Stars; and an organization that attracts exactly the sort of role players it’ll need to fill in the gaps. At this point, it’s almost easier to imagine Golden State stacking the next five ’chips than it is to think of anyone else stealing even one.

The future, like the present, belongs to the Dubs.

—

Ryan Jones is a Contributing Editor at SLAM. Follow him at Twitter at @thefarmerjones.

Stephen Curry agreed to sign his $201 million deal with the Warriors last night. LeBron James, currently with one year and $33.2 million left on his contract, took to Twitter to share how much he thinks Curry should actually be receiving.

So tell me again why there's a cap on how much a player should get?? Don't answer that. Steph should be getting 400M this summer 5yrs. #JMTshttps://t.co/jMYfI0umWK

Golden State’s attack is built around the “chaos” Steph creates for the opposition.

Per CSN Bay Area (via the TK Show):

“Everything we do is based on Steph,” Kerr reiterated. “From the very beginning of this run, Steph was the guy who started it … I feel like our foundation is built around not only his talent, but his character, his selflessness, his joy, his work ethic.

“Literally our offensive system is built around the chaos that he creates for defenses. I’ve never seen a player who elicited so much of a defensive schematic response because of his ability to shoot from 30 feet and dribble around everybody.”

On Wednesday, Kerr made a pretty strong declaration.

“Even Michael Jordan — people had the Jordan rules — but nothing has ever been as dramatic as what I’ve seen from opponents’ defensive schemes as how they have to deal with Steph.”

“Steph, I’m so embarrassed,” Kerr told him. “I forgot to talk about you. You’re not that important to the team anyway.”

Kerr initially said he wasn’t going to shout out each player. Halfway through his speech, he changed his mind and went player for player. From the end of the bench to the superstars. But he stopped at [Kevin] Durant.

The Warriors took the 2017 ‘chip with a convincing 4-1 series win. Kevin Durant, with averages of 35.2 points, 8.4 rebounds, 5.4 assists and 60 percent shooting, won Finals MVP. Stephen Curry went for 26.8 points, 9.4 assists and 8 rebounds per game, soundly avenging last year’s Finals loss.

Both of the Dubs’ best players were hooping in their newest signature sneakers during the Finals. Durant called the Nike KD10 his best yet and the Under Armour Curry 4 was most definitely the best offering from the two-time MVP. Durant wore the same blue pair of 10s for all five games while Curry switched up between three different colorways of the 4.

The rest of the Warriors contributed in other neck-breaking kicks. Andre Iguodala’s Kobe ADs were next level, Draymond Green was the first player to lace up the Nike Hyperdunk 2017 Flyknit and Klay Thompson’s gold and white Anta KT2s rounded out the collection of rare silhouettes.

LeBron James and Kyrie Irving laced up PEs of the Soldier 11 and Kyrie 3, respectively and Iman Shumpert broke out the “Champagne” Air Jordan VIIIs for two games. Check out the gallery up top to see the best sneakers of the ’17 Finals.

After the Cavaliers won Game 4 in convincing fashion, the 3-1 jokes were inevitable. Golden State silenced ALL of them Monday night, taking care of business and claiming their 2nd championship in the last three years.

Any recap of Game 5 (or of the entire series for that matter) must begin with Kevin Durant, who put up an absurd 39 points, 7 rebounds, and 5 assists. The Cavs just couldn’t find a way to slow him down. It’s been a long journey for KD – one filled with harsh criticism following his decision to leave OKC and join the Dubs last summer. But after nine years, the superstar finally has his ring (and a Finals MVP award to go along with it, with averages of 35.2 points, 8.4 rebounds, and 5.4 assists per game, shooting 56% from the field). “I’m just so happy for Kevin,” coach Steve Kerr said, “…He’s had an amazing career, but he just took it to the next level. He was incredible all season long. He had an amazing series, just dominated.”

Cleveland had their chances to really seize control of this one in the first half, taking an eight-point lead early in the 2nd quarter. But as they are prone to do, the Warriors responded with an electric 21-2 run, pioneered by Durant and Curry, who had 41 combined at the break.

Despite a rocking Oracle arena, the Cavaliers hung tough. They trailed by just five heading into the 4th, but couldn’t string together enough stops to get over the hump. Golden State shot 51% from the field and hit 14 three-pointers for the game.

Unsurprisingly, LeBron James did not go down without a fight. The King posted 41 points, 13 rebounds, and 8 assists in the losing effort. For the series, Bron averaged a triple-double: 33.6 points, 12.0 rebounds, and 10.0 assists (first player in NBA Finals history to do so). “I left everything on the floor every game,” he claimed, “So for me personally, I have no reason to put my head down.”

Kyrie Irving, who also deserves A TON of praise for what he did through five battles, had this to say about James: “Man, he’s freaking awesome. As a student of the game, it would be a disservice to myself if I didn’t try to learn as much as possible while I’m playing with this guy. Every single day demanding more out of himself, demanding more out of us, the true testament of a consummate professional…I know that if we continue to be with one another and keep utilizing one another, man, the sky’s the limit.”

KD wasn’t the only Warrior who went off. After struggling in Game 4, Steph told reporters he wanted to and would play better back at home. He absolutely delivered: 34 points, 10 assists, and 6 rebounds. “How ’bout Stephen Curry,” Durant said postgame, “He played like a big dog.”

Commenting on both Curry and Durant, Draymond Green stated, “I knew we were going to win when I saw the way they were locked in.”

The first two colorways of the Under Armour Curry 4 have been rooted in a white midsole and icy blue outsole. Now Stephen Curry and UA are switching it up for the third version of the 4.

The “Finals” Curry 4 is mostly black, a nod to the Warriors’ taking on a hostile visiting arena in tonight’s Game 4. Instead of the white midsole, there’s a golden gradient that trails off into a gold “SC” logo. Both the outsole and midsole are treated with specks of gold throughout and a golden shank on the sneaker’s medial side.

After Kevin Durant’s dagger three-pointer in Game 3 of the NBA Finals, Stephen Curry squatted down for a moment, and the Internet immediately began analyzing the celebration as though it were the Zapruder film.

The Warriors thought they were carving out their place in history when they set a record with 73 wins last season. But history turned to infamy when they blew a 3-1 lead to the Cavaliers, the biggest collapse in NBA Finals history.

They spoke openly of their desire to beat Jordan’s 72-win team in 1996, but this time have downplayed the importance of 16-0.

“We obviously know how hard it is to win a championship, what all goes into it and how important each game is. And now that you can look ahead to Friday, all our focus is on that,” Curry said. “And just we obviously — we want 16 wins; it doesn’t matter how we get there. But now that we’re in this situation, why not take care of business and finish the job?”

Stephen Curry’s newest sneaker, the Under Armour Curry 4, is still making buzz every time he laces them up. His all-white colorway got glowing reviews from the internet last week and now his black ‘way is turning heads, too.

The black 4’s knit upper transitions into a white midsole with gold accenting and an icy blue outsole. Check out an in-depth look of the black Curry 4 up top.

According to a handful of Las Vegas boomakers, this year’s Golden State Warriors would have greater odds if they hopped inside a time-machine and faced off against Michael Jordan and the 1996 Chicago Bulls.

The Dubs, up 2-0 in the NBA Finals against the defending champion Cleveland Cavaliers, have been favored in every postseason game.

I spoke to several Las Vegas bookmakers who would favor this year's Warriors team over MJ's Bulls squad in a series: https://t.co/6Gw5zExDCg

The legendary ’96 Bulls won 72 regular season games en route to a fourth championship.

Per ESPN:

Four of the five (bookmakers) had the Warriors favored, from as high as -8 at the MGM (per Jay Rood, vice president of race and sports at MGM Resorts) to as low as -3 at the Wynn (per Johnny Avello, sportsbook manager at the Wynn).

Chris Andrews, sportsbook director at South Point, wasn’t crazy about the comparison but said “it would have to be pretty close to pick-em, point spread and series. It would depend on [which team] could force its style on the other.”

Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook manager Jeff Sherman set the line at Golden State -6.5 and a series price of Chicago +300 and Golden State -360.

“It’s a different era now, and today’s game is played at a pace unlike in the 1990s,” Sherman said. “Players are bigger, faster and stronger than back then.”

“That’s what everyone wants to see, some of the best players in the world go against each other,” Klay Thompson said. “Steph [Curry] made a great move, got by [LeBron James] and finished. That’s what he does.”

Curry and Kevin Durant tag-teamed the Warriors within two victories of another championship. Curry recorded his first career postseason triple-double with 32 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds, while Durant contributed 33 points, 13 rebounds, six assists and five blocks and is suddenly on the cusp of his first ring.

“It seemed like it’s personal for both of them,” Draymond Green said. “And you are talking two of the greatest players that we got in this world locked in the way they are, that’s why we’re up 2-0.”

Since unveiling the Under Armour Curry 4 right before Game 1 of the Finals, Stephen and UA have heard warm receptions to the sneaker. Its sleek white colorway broke the internet’s collective necks when he quietly brought them out for warmups last Thursday.

NiceKicksgot a close look at the 4 and according to them, it has a “sloping midsole atop a full-length speed plate,” as well as “360 [degree] bonded taping.” The silhouette has a knit upper and personal details about Curry, too. We asked the two-time MVP about the joints, and he said “It’s a progression of the Curry line that we’re trying to continue to elevate and make that best shoe in the market.”

]]>http://www.slamonline.com/media/slam-tv/stephen-curry-gets-ready-game-2-riley-curry/feed/0SLAMonlineStephen Curry on Curry 4: ‘We’re Trying To Make The Best Shoe On The Market’http://www.slamonline.com/nba/stephen-curry-curry-4-reaction/
http://www.slamonline.com/nba/stephen-curry-curry-4-reaction/#respondSat, 03 Jun 2017 23:28:23 +0000http://www.slamonline.com/?p=443913

During last year’s Finals, Stephen Curry debuted the Curry 2 Low “Chef Curry” and felt the wrath of the internet. At Game 1 of the 2017 NBA Finals, Curry broke out the Curry 4 and the response has been much, much better. The fourth look of Curry’s signature line has been getting praise from sneaker heads, basketball fans, Twitter users and the like.

At practice on Saturday, we asked Curry about the Curry 4 and he said that the process of making the shoe was “fun” and that it’s a “progression of the Curry line.”

Check it:

The whole shoe game is crazy. It takes a long time, a lot of idea and input and the whole process is kind of fun to go down that road. So, yeah, I feel good playing in it. It’s a progression of the Curry line that we’re trying to continue to elevate and make that best shoe in the market. So I’m feeling pretty good about it. Obviously, at the end of the day, they helped me play well in Game 1, and I want to keep that going.

Curry scored 28 points and dropped 10 dimes as the Dubs cruised to a 113-91 win to take a 1-0 series lead.

Curry sported a fresh haircut for the occasion and the two-time reigning MVP initially wore a black sleeve on his shooting arm to protect a tender elbow that still had some swelling, but he quickly removed it and found his stroke. He shot 11 for 22, 6 of 11 on 3s.

The sleeve didn’t feel right, but Curry joked of his arm wear, “As a little kid I always wanted to be like Allen Iverson and that was the only way I could really come close.”

[Kevin] Durant punished Cleveland for leaving him free, taking the ball to the hoop for emphatic dunks as a man on a mission to deliver what he came for: a championship. He had six slams in the first half alone for the Warriors, who at 13-0 are already the first team to go this far in a postseason unblemished.

The sneaker’s clean white base was accented by an icy blue outsole and hits of gold. Its high collar transitions from a woven material into a more sturdy and supportive midfoot, which looks to be made out of leather.

The 4 will release in both a high and low-cut in the Fall 2017. Stay tuned for updates on materials, price, release date and the inspiration behind Curry’s best sneaker yet. Scroll through the gallery above to see the 4 up close.

Kevin Durant‘s decision to join the Golden State Warriors continues to look better and better. After shocking the hoops world on the morning of July 4, 2016 by announcing that he was leaving Oklahoma City for the Bay Area, Durant faced intense scrutiny, a glorified beef with former teammate Russell Westbrook, “cupcake” taunts, and a new reputation as a traitor.

Now he’s just three wins away from securing the first ring of his career.

“This is what every player wants to be, is the highest level of basketball,” said Durant. “That’s what you dream about as a kid, is to play at the highest level.”

The 7-footer finished with 23 points in the first half and scored a game-high to go along with 8 boards and 8 assists.

Durant’s presence certainly caught the attention of LeBron James. When asked what he noticed most about the game, he responded bluntly with “KD.”

The third installment of Cavs-Warriors certainly lived up to the ridiculous hype surrounding the matchup in the first quarter. After both teams went scoreless in the first minute, the two squads erupted to score a combined 65 points.

Going back and forth and trading big dunks, Cleveland and Golden State were living up to the lofty expectations set by the NBA and the fans following a lackluster playoffs. The Warriors led 35-30 after one.

From there, the Dubs kept their collective foot on the gas and dominated the next three quarters to take a 1-0 series lead.

Golden State had everything clicking in the third quarter. Following Durant’s electric first half performance, Stephen Currytook the reins in the third frame, scoring 14 of his 28 to stretch Golden State’s lead to 21.

“The shift came in the first about two minutes and 30 seconds after halftime. That’s something that we have to limit going forward, especially when it’s an eight-point game,” said Irving. “We have done a good job of limiting them to certain things going into halftime, had a few too many mistakes, and then coming out of halftime they just jump on us. Great teams do that.”

For Cleveland, LeBron James and Kyrie Irving shouldered the offensive load. Bron put up a monster-yet-ordinary for him stat line: 28 points, 15 boards, and 8 assists. But also had 8 turnovers (the Cavs finished with 20 total compared to just 15 assists).

Kyrie was crafty around the rim, finishing with touch amongst the Warriors big men. He wound up with 24 points on 10-22 shooting.

The rest of the Cavaliers, however, did not give the Cavs’ two stars the help they needed. Kevin Love scored 15 points and grabbed 21 boards, while the rest of the roster scored a combined 21 points.

LeBron had a simple message on what he needs from his supporting cast following the game:

“Just to be themselves and do what they have done throughout the course of the season, throughout the course of the last couple years. Play with energy, play with effort, play with their mind and their bodies and understand what we’re trying to accomplish.”

Cleveland had no answer for the offensive powerhouse the Warriors rolled out. Will things change in Game 2? Find out on Sunday night.

Stephen Curry has the smoothest jumpshot in the NBA. His handles make defenders get dizzy and he’s got cat-like quickness in the passing lanes. Curry dominates games with his blazing mental speed—he can read what the opposition is doing and react faster than anyone on the floor.

There’s some natural gifts in there, and playing ball with his father and brother his whole life has certainly helped, but one of Steph’s go-to training methods to improve his hand-eye coordination and thought process is the FITLIGHT Trainer™.

Curry uses FITLIGHT to gain the mental edge on his opponents by overloading his brain while he trains.

FITLIGHT™’s trying to improve lives by providing new training methods. Their mission is to “Move, Measure and Motivate.”

They make people move with their innovative FITLIGHTS. As each one goes off, he has to turn them off by either waving his hand over them or hitting them. His overall reaction time and his reaction time for each light is recorded.

When the FITLIGHT Trainer™ crew brought the lights into our office, we set up four of them on the floor. Using the Dashboard Tablet, we customized how we wanted to train. We went for the randomized program and decided to try our luck with just waving our hands over the lights, rather than having to hit the lights.

It was showtime. The lights started blinking right away, showing no mercy. They quickly changed and the 10-second trial run was a wrap too quickly. It was addicting. Needed another shot.

We went back to the Tablet and readjusted the settings, speeding up the activation time of the lights.

That’s not the only thing that can be customized, though. There are endless combinations of how many lights you use, how much time you to have hit them, which order they light up in and so much more. The Raptors have a wall with 50 FITLIGHTS on it. Curry, Nick Young, DeMar DeRozan and other hoopers use anywhere from 12 to 24 lights at a time. Curry puts them on a pole, while Young dives on the floor to use them.

After we were moving, it was time to measure our stats on the Tablet. We had set the reaction time between each light to a blazing fast 1.5 seconds and for all four of them, we were under that mark. In total, hitting the four lights in succession took just under 6 seconds, which looked a whole better than the rest of the times we recorded.

But we weren’t dribbling a basketball. We weren’t running around. We weren’t trying to catch a tennis ball and then turn those lights off.

FITLIGHT™ is all about motivation. You can share your stats with your friends, like Stephen does with his brother Seth. Stephen can see where Seth’s at and try to one-up him. Or if you’re just trying to get your own mind to react a little bit faster, you can easily compete with your friends by just tapping a few buttons on the Tablets. Move enough, motivate yourself, put in enough work and you could be cooking like the Chef.

Nike, Under Armour and Anta, the premier brands in the series, are sure to bring the best colorways of their sneakers out.

The Swoosh, which outfits the entire Cavs team, has three signature models front and center on the biggest stage. For the boys defending the Land, the Soldier 11 and Kyrie 3 are sure to get the all-black road treatment that last year’s sneakers got. The Cavs have won a road game in every series they’ve played since LeBron James came back to the team. They take winning away from home, in front of 20,000 hostile fans, very seriously and dress accordingly to get that message across.

The third Nike model that’s going to be getting major play will be the KD10. It’s being released in a unique way during Game 1 on Thursday. The last time that Kevin Durant played in the Finals, he wore some nice gold-colored joints.

Durant’s teammate, Stephen Curry, promises to have something special cooked up by Under Armour. His Curry 3ZER0 has been given a few different gradient ‘ways already.

The rest of the key players in the series will be given Finals-specific colorways of their respective sneakers. Scroll through the gallery above to see who’s been wearing what for the first three rounds of the postseason.

The matchup has storylines galore. Can LeBron take another step toward catching Mike? Will KD get his first ring? What’s up with Steve Kerr? Will Klay Thompson shake his poor playoff performance? Can Kyrie outplay Curry for the second straight year? Does Curry have his swagger back? Has Kevin Love finally found his groove with the Cavs?

Fortunately for us, all of these questions, and more, will be answered over the next two weeks. Game 1 kicks off Thursday night at 9 p.m. EST on ABC. In the meantime, check out who we think will take home the Larry O’Brien trophy, and hit us with some predictions of your own in the comment section.

Adam Figman, Editor-in-ChiefPick: Cavs in 7Why? There’s no real basketball motivation behind this pick—both teams are heavyweights of such an extreme caliber in their respective conferences that we really have no idea how they’ll match up against one another over the course of a best-of-seven series. I’ll roll with Cleveland for two reasons: one, the experience that comes with maintaining essentially the same squad as last year (as opposed to the Warriors’ new, KD-enhanced look), and two, the sheer brilliance of you know who.

Susan Price Thomas, Managing EditorPick: Cavs in 7Why? It might be because I want the series to go seven games. It might be because I’m salty that KD went to the Warriors. It might be that I’m rooting for LeBron. It might be all of the above and more. All I know is that LeBron is the one of the most special players in the history of the League and I’m just happy I get the chance to see him do his thing, and while I’d love for him to do it in four games, I think it’ll take a few more to get it done. But he will.

Peter Walsh, Senior EditorPick: Warriors in 5Why? The heart says Cavs in seven, but the head knows its Warriors in five. LeBron, KD, Curry, Kyrie and Draymond are all due for huge games, but the Finals will ultimately come down to who has the better series between Kevin Love, who has been excellent all postseason, and Klay Thompson, who has been in a weird slump. Shooters shoot, as they say, and I can’t see Klay going through another round where he tosses up bricks.

Ryne Nelson, Senior EditorPick: Warriors in 6Why? Revenge in a powerful drug. We saw it with the Spurs in 2014 after they were robbed of the title the year before. Golden State is mostly healthy (get well, Steve!) and dialed in. The team won’t self-combust this year.

Franklyn Calle, Associate EditorPick: Cavs in 6Why? It’s been my same prediction for the past three years, so just keeping the tradition alive in hopes of getting it right at least once. Plus, all the pressure has been on KD and the Warriors to go all the way since Day 1, while LeBron has less weight on his shoulders than ever before.

Max Resetar, Associate EditorPick: Cavs in 6Why? We thought LeBron’s best year was 2012. He was the MVP, Finals MVP, won his first title and an Olympic Gold that year. Then he he delivered a masterpiece in last year’s Finals, including one of the defining moments in League history. And now, at 32, with 50,000 minutes on his legs, 14 years in, he’s never played better. There’s no betting against the best basketball player since Michael Jordan.

Ryan Jones, Contributing EditorPick: Warriors in 5Why? With KD on board, the Dubs are who we thought they’d be: So potent that most nights they seem almost impossible to beat. The Cavs are capable, of course, but they’ll need four near-perfect games—and even that might not be enough.

Yaron Weitzman, Senior WriterPick: Cavs in 7Why? Honestly, I’m torn on this. On paper the Warriors feel like favorites. Major favorites. They have two top-five players and four top-20 players and are playing as well as any team in NBA history. The Cavaliers needed seven games to beat the Warriors last year—and that was before they had Kevin Durant. On the other hand, well, the Cavs have LeBron, who just happens to be playing some of the best ball his career. I don’t feel comfortable picking against him. I don’t feel comfortable picking against this Golden State superteam either. I’ll go with the Cavaliers, because why not? I’m rarely right with this stuff anyway.

Ben Collins, ContributorPick: Cavs in 6Why? As Abraham Lincoln once said, “You can bet against the best player on this big, rotting space pebble, but that would make you a huge dumbass.”

Drew Ruiz,ContributorPick: Cavs in 6Why? It’s been great to see what LeBron has done the last 14 years, but beating the Warriors (again) with the addition of Kevin Durant would be amazing. No LeBron slander from Basketball Twitter shall prosper when King James gets his fourth title.

Abe Schwadron, ContributorPick: Warriors in 5Why? For political reasons, I’d much prefer LeBron pick up another ‘chip, solidify his place next to Mike in the annals of the game’s history and eschew a trip to the White House. But numbers don’t lie—by just about every statistical measure, offense or defense, traditional or advanced, Golden State is a juggernaut that even No. 23 can’t defeat.

Dennis Page, General ManagerPick: Warriors in 6Why? But then again, maybe Cavs in 7.

Dave Schnur, Associate General ManagerPick? Warriors in 6Why? Warriors have an overwhelming amount of fire power with their four All-Stars. LeBron being the best player in the universe and Kyrie being arguably the best guard on the floor will get them two games but KD, Klay, Curry and Draymond will prove to be too hard to guard.

Michael Yaari, Advertising SalesPick: Warriors in 6Why? Even with another Herculean performance from Bron, I don’t see an ultra-motivated Warriors squad dropping their chance at redemption. Basketball’s favorite villain, KD, gets his long-awaited ring and the Warriors shoot their way to a second ring in three years.

Stephen Curry has been “phenomenal” this postseason, and according to Warriors head coach Steve Kerr, the reigning MVP appears to be “fresher, faster, stronger” than he was in last year’s NBA Finals clash with the Cavs.

Curry had nagging injuries throughout the 2016 Playoffs, and they caught up to him in the seven-game war with Cleveland.

'To me, he looks fresher, faster, stronger than he did a year ago.'#Warriors coach Steve Kerr on Stephen Curry.

Steph is currently averaging 28.6 points, on 43 percent shooting from beyond the arc and 50 percent from the field for Golden State (which is 12-0 so far this postseason.)

Per ESPN:

“Just having an opportunity to rise to the occasion knowing this is when things matter most,” he said. “But I’ve been playing pretty solid all year. Whether people notice it or not, want to talk about it or not, or praise it or not, it doesn’t really matter. Now in the bright lights is when you got to continue to do it, and that’s what I’m trying to do. Hopefully for the next three weeks I can sustain it.”

Curry may have been an afterthought for MVP consideration during the regular season, behind Russell Westbrook and James Harden, but he’s reintroducing himself to the world.

“You look at those guys [James Harden and Russell Westbrook], numbers-wise, they had separated themselves just on sheer numbers and stats and the wow factor of what they’re doing, and they deserve that attention because they all had amazing seasons,” Curry said. “So, it obviously helps me to say that having won a couple times, but at the end of the day, I don’t need that kind of validation to know what my role is on the team, and how I can help my team win, and being in a situation where we’re playing for championships now, so that’s the biggest thing.”

Kyrie Irving drilled the biggest shot in Cleveland Cavaliers franchise history in Stephen Curry’s eye, but Curry says he wouldn’t have defended Irving any differently with Game 7 of last year’s NBA Finals hanging in the balance.

With 53 seconds remaining, Kyrie Irving nailed a tough triple with Curry’s hand draped in his face to give the Cavaliers a three-point advantage. It was the only field goal Cleveland needed to seal the deal.

But Curry has no regrets on how he defended Irving.

“You could tell that’s a shot he’s worked on,” Curry said. “I was right there. Tried not to foul. I stayed in front and contested. He just made an amazing shot. You have to give him credit. There’s nothing I’d do differently on that play.”

This season, Curry has placed a heavy emphasis on improving his ball security. During this postseason run, he’s turning the ball over 3.3 times per game, down from 4.2 turnovers per game in last year’s playoffs. Pulling off plays with a high degree of difficulty are Curry’s specialty. But finding the right balance is what he’s striving to perfect.

Seth also said that he and his brother split one-on-one games and shooting games “50-50” in the backyard when they were kids. This past season, the younger Curry shot a higher percentage from three than his older bro. But Stephen hit an NBA-high 324 long-distance shots, while Seth made 137.

Only way to settle this one is with a three-point contest at All-Star Weekend.

Both Curry and the Warriors’ coaching staff thought the screen was illegal, and were happy it didn’t result in any injury:

“I know he’s not a dirty player. I’m not going to try to mess up his reputation, but I feel like that was a dirty play,” Curry responded to ESPN. “Luckily no one was hurt.”

“I thought it was an illegal screen,” Warriors acting head coach Mike Brown said to ESPN. “When it happened live, I was not sure, but when you look at the film, it was an illegal pick. Sometimes the officials make the call, and sometimes they don’t.”

A source told ESPN the league office doesn’t anticipate issuing Dedmon a penalty.

Dedmon was teammates with Curry for four games during the 2013-14 season. Curry said he doesn’t hold a grudge — he just views it as an unnecessary play.

“I’ve thought about it,” Curry replied. “I’m very sensitive to the experience of the PGA Tour guys out there who have dedicated their life to what they do, just like I have with basketball. I don’t think I could, obviously, just jump out there … It’d be a lot of work that would go into it…”

“I have the passion for the game, I think, to fight through whatever it would take,” Curry said. “I don’t know if it’s in the cards after I’m done playing, but I will still be playing golf until (my NBA career) is over.”

Given, Curry is only 29 years old — “I’m just reaching my prime,” he said Monday — and may be a decade away from such considerations. That said, he did call golf “1B on my list of passions” presumably after hoops.

The Warriors dominated Game 2 of the Conference Finals, winning 136-100. They never trailed and had 39 assists on 50 field goals.

In the middle of it all was Stephen Curry, dancing all around the floor. He fluttered into the lane and hit tough catch-and-shoot jumpers on his way to 29 points, 7 rebounds and 7 assists. He was the main source of energy for his squad and his fans. Watch the highlights of his electric performance above.

San Antonio surprised everyone by taking a 62-42 lead into the half. Despite missing the previous game with an ankle injury, Kawhi Leonard did not appear rusty, posting 18 points and 8 rebounds in those first two quarters alone.

Golden State proceeded to storm back, outscoring San Antonio 58-33 in the 19:53 that Leonard was off the floor. Stephen Curry (40 points, 7 rebounds) and Kevin Durant (34 points, 5 rebounds) put on a show.

I’m writing this on a Thursday night in late April. The tough Raptors just defeated the young Bucks to move on to the second round, and the Spurs and Grizzlies are currently scrapping it out in a dogged Game 6 showdown.

I like all of the aforementioned teams. We’ve covered players and coaches on the four of them extensively, and they’re all great groups, filled with fun, likeable personalities. I wish ill will on none of them, and I’ll feel great joy for whoever reaches the top of the mountain this June, be it one of those teams or another.

That said, I’d be lying if I didn’t admit I was pulling for our two cover stars to make it all the way through their respective conferences. Sure, there’s an element of repetition at play here, what with the same franchises potentially reaching the Finals three years in a row and all, but that can end next year. This year I want the best possible story to come to the light. I want a Round 3.

Honestly, I get a little giddy even thinking about it. LeBron could get one more step closer to Kobe and MJ. Stephen could erase last year’s demons. Kyrie could further solidify himself as a tried-and-true NBA superstar. KD could finally get some jewelry. Or something wildly unexpected could (and almost definitely will) go down, and it’ll top any of these ever-predictable storylines. You ready, JR?

And yeah, a 1-1 tie would get broken, and that needs to happen more than anything else. For the players, for the coaches (get well soon, Steve), for the media, for the record books. And most importantly: for the fans, especially those who read SLAM and need a little ammo for the inevitable arguments in the barbershop (or Basketball Twitter, or this site’s comment section) this summer. Let’s do this.

Stephen and Seth Curry dance around the court, fluttering through defenses. They shake and bake to find three-point opportunities and when they don’t have the ball, they fly around in the passing lanes, looking for steals. They both play ball with the same light, effortless style, with quickness, finesse and skill.

While they were floating around the court this season, they were wearing the Under Armour Curry 3. It was the first Curry sneaker to feature UA’s Threadborne technology. Designer Kort Neumann incorporated the high-tension threads to help the Curry 3 stay adaptive and responsive.

“The level of how you can customize [Threadborne] is amazing,” Neumann told us before the ’16-’17 season started. “There’s so many different variations of how you can apply it that it really took us a little while to figure out how to get the best of both worlds, in terms of performance and aesthetics. Depending on category, the Threadborne can look different because of the different performance attributes that are needed.”

Throughout the season, the Curry brothers wore multiple colorways of the 3. While Seth went with clean, simple looks for his Mavs colorways, Steph had several meaningful ‘ways. There was the “Back2Back,” which honored President Obama, the “Oakland Strong” version to help those who had been devastated by the fires that were raging back in December and the “Dubfetti” joints that celebrated the two-time MVP’s 29th birthday. The brothers also laced up a special “Family Business” colorway when they matched up against each other in March.

Seth’s Mavs team didn’t make the playoffs, but Steph is currently wearing the Curry 3ZER0 during his postseason run. Scroll through the gallery above to see the brothers dancin’ on fools in the best colors of the Curry 3.

]]>http://www.slamonline.com/nba/watch-stephen-curry-puts-rudy-gobert-blender/feed/0SLAMonlineStephen Curry Dedicates Playoff Run to 8-Year-Old Fan Who Died of Leukemiahttp://www.slamonline.com/nba/stephen-curry-dedicates-playoff-brody-stephens-8-year-old-fan-leukemia/
http://www.slamonline.com/nba/stephen-curry-dedicates-playoff-brody-stephens-8-year-old-fan-leukemia/#respondTue, 02 May 2017 19:59:32 +0000http://www.slamonline.com/?p=439031

Kevin Durant’s arrival in The Bay Area last summer forced Stephen Curry to adapt his game—to do a little bit less, to put up fewer gaudy numbers—but he insists that critics of the season he’s had don’t know what they’re talking about.

The reigning, two-time MVP shined brightest when KD was out with a knee injury.

“I think Steph catered to the whole theme of pleasing,” Bruce Fraser, the Warriors-appointed shooting coach, would later say. “He wanted to please. He catered to the whole, took less for himself. The irony in this season so far is that we had to learn how to play with KD, had to learn how to play without him. And both of those were challenges.”

Indeed, by season’s end, the seesaw act had worked to the tune of 67 wins. And after Durant’s return to the lineup in early April, the two combined for 119 points on 37-of-66 shooting in two games together in their first-round series sweep of the Trail Blazers. Still, two games does not a championship run make. In fact, it takes two months. Few have learned that lesson quite like Curry. One month he was touted as the “unanimous MVP.” The next, after a disappointing loss in the Finals, “unanimous MVP” became a sardonic epithet, a cudgel against a guy who’d rushed back from injury and into his own basketball Waterloo. He knows all too well that a season of never-ending praise can be upended in days. “I know if I’m not playing well,” he says. “And I can’t say that anybody’s right in the way that they talk about my year.”

The tone is one of defiance, the nice guy offering a soft indictment of the superstar celebration process. The nice guy has done some nice things to facilitate wins. Maybe he won’t get due credit, maybe he’ll regret certain sacrifices, but he’ll know what he did and why he did it. And as he slips into the locker room, he sighs, offering one final thought: “Hypebeasts are gonna hypebeast.”

It was tied at 77 heading into the fourth before the Hawks pulled away. Both John Wall (22p, 10a) and Bradley Beal (32p) showed out, but it wasn’t enough to overcome ATL’s balanced effort (seven players scored in double figures).